Hvaldimir: Difference between revisions

'''Hvaldimir''' ({{IPA|no|/ˈʋɑːl.dɪ.mɪr/}}; {{circa|2009}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/8qP05r/hvaldimir-skal-obduseres-mandag |title=– Det kom som et sjokk på oss alle |last1=Solheim |first1=Eric Kjerstad |publisher=[[Verdens Gang]] |date=2 September 2024 |access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dagbladet.no/nyheter/full-fart-vet-ikke-hvorfor/79399754 |title=Full fart: - Vet ikke hvorfor |last1=Hegnar |first1=Emma Victoria |publisher=[[Dagbladet]] |date=30 May 2023 |access-date=6 September 2024}}</ref> – 31 August 2024) was a male<ref>Hanne Bernhardsen Nordvåg, [https://www.nrk.no/finnmark/hva-kan-du-om-hvaldimir_-1.14678413 "Hva kan du om Hvaldimir?"] [What do you know about Hvaldimir?], NRK Finnmark, 31 August 2019 (in Norwegian): "Hvaldimir svømte på rygg med flagget til topps." [Hvaldimir was swimming on his back with his flag flying.]</ref> [[beluga whale]] that fishermen near [[Hammerfest (town)|Hammerfest]] in northern Norway noticed in April 2019 allegedly wearing a camera harness. After being freed from the harness, the whale remained in the area and appeared used to humans. Speculation that he had been trained by Russia as a spy whale led to his being dubbed Hvaldimir, a [[portmanteau]] of Norwegian {{lang-no|hval|label=none}} (whale) and "Vladimir", for Russian President [[Vladimir Putin]]. As of 2023, Hvaldimir's range appeared to have expanded to include areas of the south-western coastline of Sweden. On 31 August 2024, Hvaldimir was found dead in the bay of {{ill|Risavika|no|Risavika}}, close to [[Stavanger]] in Norway, and had what appeared to be bullet holes on his body. There have been suspicions voiced by whale group activists that he was murdered by gunfire, and there is currently an ongoing autopsy investigation to confirm whether this is the case.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title="Russian spy" beluga whale that was found dead "had multiple bullet wounds," animal rights group says - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-spy-beluga-whale-hvaldimir-shot-dead-animal-rights-groups/ |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schmitz |first=Avery |date=2024-09-04 |title=Was a ‘Russian spy’ whale shot dead? Animal rights groups call for an investigation |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/04/europe/norway-beluga-spy-whale-shot-hvaldimir-intl-latam/index.html |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=CNN |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title=Who shot Hvaldimir? 'Russian spy' whale's death takes a surprising turn |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/hvaldimir-russian-spy-whale-shot-dead-beluga-norway-rcna169496 |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=NBC News |language=en}}</ref>

Hvaldimir was found floating dead in the bay of [[Risavika]], close to Stavanger, on 31 August 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Øvrebø |first1=Emma Fondenes |last2=Sviggum |first2=Silje Kathrine |last3=Holmes |first3=Martha C. S. |date=31 August 2024 |title=Hvaldimir er død |url=https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/KML9je/hvaldimir-er-doed |access-date=31 August 2024 |website=VG |language=no}}</ref><ref>Vilde Haugen, Magnus Ekeli Mullis, Mathias Hagfors, Lars Navestad, [https://www.nrk.no/rogaland/kjendishvalen-hvaldimir-er-dod-1.17025163 "Kjendishvalen Hvaldimir er død"], NRK, 31 August 2024 {{in lang|no}}.</ref><ref name="nbc-2sep2024">{{cite news |last1=Aggarwal |first1=Mithil |title=Beloved Russian celebrity 'spy' whale is found dead off Norway |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/beloved-russian-celebrity-spy-whale-found-dead-norway-rcna169187 |access-date=2 September 2024 |work=[[NBC News]] |date=2 September 2024}}</ref> The animal rights organizations NOAH and OneWhale subsequently filed a police complaint stating that Hvaldimir died after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.<ref>{{cite news |agency=AFP |title='Russian Spy' Whale Was Shot Dead, Animal Rights Groups Say |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/09/04/russian-spy-whale-was-shot-dead-animal-rights-groups-say-a86261 |access-date=4 September 2024 |work=[[The Moscow Times]] |date=4 September 2024}}</ref> A director from a third whale activist organization, Marine Mind, however said there was nothing to immediately reveal cause of death and despite seeing the markings, believed it was just "too early to say what they are" and that some of the markings may have possibly been caused by marine birds.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-04 |title="Russian spy" beluga whale that was found dead "had multiple bullet wounds," animal rights group says - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russian-spy-beluga-whale-hvaldimir-shot-dead-animal-rights-groups/ |access-date=2024-09-08 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref> Hvaldimir was believed to had been around 15 years of age at time of his death, which is considered young for a beluga whale that typically lives up to 60 to 70 years in the wild. An ongoing autopsy is being conducted to determine the cause of death.<ref name=":0" />